Ryan Shazier (4*) LB recruit out of Plantation, FL, withdrew his verbal to the Gators and committed to OSU last night at his graduation party. The kid will be joining the OSU team this winter as an early graduate, giving him a leg up on other incoming freshman and an extra set of spring practices to show his wares.

He is fast, albeit undersized, and played DE primarily in HS dominating O-Tackles with a lightning quick first step. In FL camps this year Shazier was routinely one of the fastest kids in every camp at all positions (including CB/WR/KR). He definitely brings speed to the OSU lineup and projects as a Star or OLB for OSU. I tend to think Star in the bruising B10 where your LBs must be 230lbs (Shazier is 205 soaking wet) in order to survive the road graters in Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa. The kid is an excellent prospect with unlimited upside as long as he can get his speed to translate to the NCAA.

Better than his 4.47 (electronically timed) 40 is his acceleration/quickness. The kid routinely destroys shuttles and L-cones. I personally believe that those drills are a much better gauge of a players football playing speed. I am not sure how he will do in the transition from DE to LB, but there are some promising signs in his video. He does an outstanding job as a DE of engaging blockers, shedding them and then making tackles in the open field on the edge. Watching him cover kicks is a thing of beauty. I just wonder how he will do as he LEARNS a brand new position. If the Bucks give him an easy job (like Star) where all he does is read the play and make the play then his life will be easier and his transition will be faster.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

The timing of this thing is huge too, Furls. Curtis Grant, the other highly-rated linebacker who was presumably a Gator lean, is in Columbus this weekend...as is SVSM's Doran Grant (MSU or OSU)and other top recruits. The excitement over the Shazier announcement could have a ripple effect at the Woody this weekend, snow and cold notwithstanding. After losing the top OLB in Ohio two years running (Hicks and DePriest) the importance of this commit is hard to overstate.

"I believe it is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting." H.L. Mencken

Thishe type of player that will allow OSU to play with the non-Big Ten foes in their scedhule and match the "SEC speed".

That said, against the Wisky and Iowa types he's going to have to be versatile and play that Rover position and support the 8 in the box.

Good type player though for OSU and anytime they get into Florida for a solid to big time recruit that is impressive.

Playing here is the closest thing to heaven. Really, I mean it's amazing to be in a place where the fans truly cherish their football team and stick behind them win or lose. We players love them, too. I feel a sense of accomplishment playing here, we are a special breed of football players with a great opportunity." ~ tOSU LB Brian Rolle